Chapter 4: Business Communities & Services

King’s Pharmacy, Cynwyd

Like so many suburban communities, businesses clustered around their local train station, and Cynwyd was no exception. King’s Pharmacy was located at 2 East Montgomery Avenue, in a small business district including hardware store, a candy store, and the Egyptian movie theater. In addition to dispensing medicine, they had a large soda fountain, which was an attraction for the young and old. Another service they offered was book rental, at a rate of two cents per day. This is a black and white real photo postcard with a divided back.

Slaymakers Grocery Store, Bala

Before the invention of supermarkets, people went to their corner grocery store, which sold mainly dry goods and seasonal items. Slaymakers was located at the corner of Bala and Union Avenues in Bala. The owners, as was typical of the time, lived in apartments above the store.

Union Fire Company, Cynwyd

Construction of Cynwyd’s new firehouse commenced in 1903. It is two stories high, with an engine room, clubroom and parlor on the first floor. The second floor has a public hall that was used for a variety of community events such as plays, parties, and turkey raffles. From 1914 to 1938, the firehouse took on the added responsibility of being the first public library in the neighborhood. It remains an active volunteer-run firehouse. This is a white-border postcard with a divided back.

Montgomery Ave and Old Lancaster Road, Old Merionville

With the introduction of the automobile, which was a luxury item that most could not afford, came the introduction of full-service gas stations. Some stations were actually quite beautiful, with ornate signs and lanterns. This gazebo-style station was located at the center of a roundabout in what is now Cynwyd. The personal message on the back reads: “Dear Elsie: Thanks for the nice letter but not for the news that you weren’t coming down. Why didn’t you keep that two dollars and come down? It’s not too late yet. Took Mrs. Hartman into the City and had a wonderful time. Went to the Den of the Forty Thieves’ again and heard some more news by the same lady. By all means buy the September Delineator. For you will be delighted with what you will find in it. See you soon, Freda. August 21, 1930.”

Haverford Avenue, Narberth

This image depicts the “Main Street” of Narberth, circa 1910. The peaked roof with the chimney is part of Davis’, later Mapes’, Store at on Haverford Avenue. Further up the block was a firehouse with the cupola. Notice the wooden boardwalk spanning the width of the yet-to-be-paved avenue.

Narberth Fire House, Narberth

This image, taken about 1928, shows the c. 1907 fire house at 107 Forrest Ave., with American La France fire engines, and a sign for “Elm Hall” – “Elm” referring to the neighborhood’s original name, before being rechristened “Narberth” by the PRR. It was in Elm Hall one applied for ration books during World War II and where borough council meetings were held. This building was demolished when the municipal building was constructed on the site of former residences on Conway Avenue.

Water Tower, Narberth

Owned and operated by the Springfield Water Company, this water tower supplied water to the Borough. It was located at the highest elevation in Narberth, on the south side of the Narberth Avenue Bridge at the end of Elmwood Avenue. The postcard was photographed and published by Philip H. Moore of Philadelphia and is dated to 1913.

Lancaster Avenue, Looking West, Ardmore

This is another view of Ardmore with the Autocar Factory off in the distance. One can identify the storefronts of many service and retail businesses located along the main highway. The commercial district included the Merion Title and Trust and the ever-popular Palace Movie Theater. This is a colorized card with a divided back and a white border, published by the Sabold-Herb Company, Philadelphia.

Cricket and Lancaster Avenues, Ardmore

“Ardmore Has Everything” was the motto of the merchants along this commercial stretch of “The Pike.” The largest business district in Lower Merion, it contained a mix of small specialty shops, including a flower shop, a candy shop and tea room, a farmers’ market, a pharmacy, two movie theaters, banks, and dress shops. At the time, other village business districts only constituted a few shops along one block. This main street was recently designated the “Ardmore Historic District” by the Township. The personal message reads: “This is the picture of the drug store I got this card at. Ettie. October 9, 1923.”

Merion Title and Trust Building, Ardmore

Because of its proximity to the Ardmore Train Station, this building housed the local post office. The upper floors were used as offices.

Merion Title and Trust Company, Ardmore

Next door to the post office was the main branch of the Merion Title and Trust Company, one of the three large banks along main street Ardmore.

Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore

This image, from 1917, is of “Retail Row” with mixed-use construction: the shops operated out of the first floor while apartments occupied the upper floors. On the far left side, one can see the Ardmore Trolley station. While these buildings still exist today, the facades have changed so dramatically that they are recognizable only by the roof profiles.

Lancaster Pike, Ardmore

Another view of Lancaster Ave one block west of the above perspective. Note the consistency of the quality and style of the architecture.

Before and After: Business Section, Ardmore

The above image shows a section of Lancaster circa 1910. Below, the same section around 1940, showing a much more built-out, intense commercial use. The green space has been filled in, signage has proliferated, and increasingly precious parking space thenceforth became a concern for every storeowner and shopper.

Before and After: Business Section, Ardmore

(see previous caption)

Lancaster Pike, Ardmore

A panoramic view of the Ardmore Business District, replete with two movie theaters, a bowling alley, bars, and sundry shops. Arguably, the 1940s represented the heyday of most Ardmore businesses, which swelled in variety and number to serve the workers of the Autocar factory nearby.

Strawbridge and Clothier, Suburban Square, Ardmore

In contrast to the south side of the PRR tracks, where the factory workers and other members of the middle class lived and worked, Ardmore’s north side served the upper class by cultivating high-end department stores and tearooms. In the late 1920s the department store Strawbridge and Clothier, which for decades had operated out of Philadelphia, made retail history by opening one of the first suburban branches in the nation in Suburban Square. The business decision turned out to be a profitable one, and helped to launch the meteorological rise of the suburban retail center.

Volunteer Merion Fire Company of Ardmore, circa 1907

The first fire company in the Township was Merion Fire Company No. 1 of Ardmore, which began in 1889. Occupying a lot on the north side of Lancaster Pike, west of Ardmore Avenue, the firehouse also served as the first Township police station. The baby boy sitting on the front of the hook and ladder is William Whelan, who later became a Lower Merion Commissioner.

Volunteer Merion Fire Company of Ardmore, circa 1907

(continued from previous caption) … From The Main Line Times, 1940: “To the Merion Fire Company last Saturday went credit for one of the most impressive shows ever staged on the Main Line – a three hour long parade commemorating the company’s 50th anniversary. Fire companies, Legion Posts, bands and drum corps from municipalities within a radius of 50 miles or more in Eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey participated. The line of march extended three miles without a break…”

Lower Merion Police Force, circa 1904 and 1910

Lower Merion’s police force was established in 1900 when the Township became designated as the first “Township of the First Class” in the state. At first, they wore army surplus hats and uniforms from the Spanish American War and used bicycles and horses to patrol their assigned neighborhoods. By 1910, “Lower Merion’s Finest” donned a more traditional police uniform and had acquired their first motorized police wagon, manufactured by Ardmore’s Autocar Company.

Lower Merion Police Force, circa 1904 and 1910

(see previous caption)

Young Men’s Christian Association of Lower Merion, Front View

On Lancaster Ave, circa 1910. For a time, it also served as the home of the Ardmore Free Library. The tennis courts in the back were one of its main attractions.

Young Men’s Christian Association of Lower Merion, Back View

(see previous caption)

Lower Merion Township Building, Ardmore

The original beaux-arts style, four-story building remains a prominent and dignified landmark in the Ardmore Business District. Over the years the police department, a magistrate’s court and even a third floor janitor’s apartment moved out of the building as new services, mandates and technologies, now integral to the Township, filled the building’s 24,000 square feet.

Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr

The rapidly growing Lower Merion community soon had an obvious need for a healthcare facility. Dr. George S. Gerhard, an Ardmore physician, took on this project. With cash gifts, donated hospital supplies, and pro bono work by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness, Bryn Mawr Hospital took shape. It remains in use as a division of Main Line Health. The personal message reads: “My dear Dorthea, Thanks so much for your card and I appreciate your remembrance a lot – Am convalescing from a bad dose of pneumonia – Spent Xmas in hospital – will write a letter when stronger – Love all. Katherine. January 16, 1919.”

Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr

A later addition to the Bryn Mawr Hospital complex, which is currently operated by Main Line Health.

Bryn Mawr Fire Department, Steamer Number 1

This fire station has stood at the corner of Lancaster and Merion Avenues since 1903. The members of the Bryn Mawr Fire Company continue to this day the long-standing tradition of participating in parades as a full company, including a marching unit with a band and color guard. This colorized card dates to 1910, and was printed in Germany.

“Careful Handling and Quality” Wilson Laundry, Bryn Mawr

Although it might seem unusual to have a postcard of such a mundane service as the dry cleaners of the day, Wilson Laundry is actually a prime example of a successful business-turned-institution along the Main Line. Located on the south side of the tracks in Ardmore, Wilson Laundry served the upper classes from the north side of the tracks, from Philadelphia to Malvern, for 60 years. In 1895, C.E. Wilson established his business at Summit Grove and Lancaster Avenues. The plant had approximately 100 employees when it was sold in 1955.

The Schuylkill Expressway Interchange at City Line Avenue

The harbinger for the modernizing of Lower Merion was the Schuylkill Expressway. An emphasis on the new and the modern prevailed over much of Lower Merion’s seasoned stone building stock and architecture. New businesses emerged up and down the nascent US 1 south. The stretch was soon known as “The Golden Mile”, for the tax revenue it generated.

Marriott Motor Hotel, Bala

Located at the City Line Avenue Interchange, this sprawling motel had over 300 rooms and three themed restaurants. Below, a postcard shows the interior of the Polynesian restaurant with the wonderfully tacky description: “The exotic Kona Kai Polynesian restaurant and cocktail lounge features authentic food and drinks served in a romantic South Seas atmosphere with waterfalls and tropical foliage.”

Marriott Motor Hotel, Bala

(see previous caption)

Channel 10 Building, City Avenue and Monument Road, Bala

An archetypal example of 1950s architecture, the Channel 10 building was designed by George Howe and Robert Montgomery Brown as a state-of-the-art facility in 1952, when it was constructed. A stage lot of a western town was built in the lot behind the station, where a daily western was televised live.

Esso Standard Oil Company, Pennsylvania Division Headquarters, Bala

Another typical “modern” building located along The Golden Mile on City Line and Esso Road.

J.B. Van Sciver Company, City Line and Bryn Mawr Avenues, Bala

At the time, the construction of the $1 million store for the J.B. Van Sciver Furniture Company was one of the largest development projects in Lower Merion history. A forerunner of today’s “big box” stores, the building was three stories high, encompassed a full block, and boasted of 125,000 square feet of display space. The parking lot had the capacity to hold 500 cars. The building also featured a rooftop garden – an unusual amenity for the 1950s.

Lankenau Hospital, Penn Wynne

In 1953, Lankenau Hospital moved from its cramped Philadelphia location at Girard and Corinthian Avenues to a sprawling 93-acre site in the vicinity of City Avenue and Lancaster Pike, in Lower Merion. Vincent Kling, the architect for the new complex, won a first place award in architecture for his design.